Kids Mode

Kids Feedback: Why Do We Have to Be Disciplined For What Adam and Eve Did?

on August 25, 2011; last updated August 25, 2011

Why do we have to be disciplined for what Adam and Eve did? Did God forgive Adam after he disobeyed Him?

Why do we have to be disciplined for what Adam and Eve did? Did God forgive Adam after he disobeyed Him?

– Kira W.

These are great questions, Kira. Let’s take a look at this question first:
“Why do we have to be disciplined for what Adam and Eve did?”

When Adam disobeyed God, sin and evil entered the world for the first time.
The consequences of his sin was that the world was no longer perfect, which
means that for the first time there were things like death, pain in childbirth,
sadness, thorns, and separation from God. But the Bible says this:

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death
through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. Romans 5:12

So we are eternally separated from God, not just because of Adam’s sin, but
because of our own sin too. That is why Jesus came to die for us on the Cross!
He took the punishment for our sin, so that if we ask Him to forgive us, we
don’t have to be separated from God anymore!

Now let’s talk about your second question: “Did God forgive Adam after he disobeyed Him?”

The answer to this question depends on whether or not Adam had the faith demonstrated
by people such as Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham (see Hebrews 11). By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through
which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts.
And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks (Hebrews 11:4).

So how do we get the type of faith that Abel had? Hebrews 11:1 says that “faith
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” If Adam also had faith in God’s
promise (Genesis 3:15), then he would have been forgiven for his sins. The Bible doesn’t specifically
state that Adam had this faith. However, we can see that Adam and Eve probably
valued God’s promises because it seems they passed on His teachings to their children.

Since we have all sinned, we all have the same problem—separation from God
(as was mentioned in the answer to your first question). If you want to learn
more about how you can be made right with God through the saving grace of Jesus
Christ, please read the good news!